The Pokebond
by Whispered Harmony
Summary: In which a teenager named Lydia must fight her family's ban on Pokemon, figure out how to train one of the monsters before a final project in her Pokemon Lore class, and deal with a snotty rival and an equally annoying professor.
1. Chapter 1

_[A/N] This is a little story I started quite a while back and have finally gotten around to uploading and finishing. It may take me a while to write and edit all the chapters, so I apologize if updates are few and far between. I'll try to stay fairly on top of this, but at the moment I'm rather busy with honors classes and marching band. Please leave feedback, good or bad! I'm always looking for ways to improve. And thank you for checking out my story!_

Lydia clutched her desk, staring at the blank computer screen. It had been a very long day, and her report on type match-ups still wasn't done. She let out a bitter sigh, resting her fingers on the keyboard. Normally, Lydia had not trouble writing essays. In fact, she rather enjoy the chance to prove her mastery over words and prose. However, writing papers for her Pokemon Lore class was always an uphill battle.

_Type advantages play a crucial role in achieving victory. This is why Trainers should pay special attention to their Pokemon teams, and devise strategies that account for any type disadvantages._

Shaking her head, Lydia deleted the sentences. She had never owned her own Pokemon, and thus writing about their existence was much more difficult than it ought to be.

"Lydia, how's the report going?" her mother called from the other room.

Lydia shook her head. "Is grass effective against rock, or is it the other way around? I can't remember," she shouted back.

There was no reply. Then, finally: "Honey, why don't you just give up on that silly paper? You've been working on the stupid thing for hours. I'm sure you can still pass the class if you don't turn it in."

Lydia sighed, dropping her head into her hands. She couldn't possibly give up on the paper! She wasn't about to let this dumb Pokemon Lore class drop her perfect 4.0 grade average.

Besides, her mother was horribly bias against Pokemon. Had it been any other subject, giving up would never have even been considered a possibility.

The teenager sighed again, irritated. She shoved her chair away from the desk and trudged into the living room where she quickly sank into the couch. Fishing for the remote, she flipped the TV on. Lydia's mother, who was sitting on the other side of the cozy room, peered up from her laptop in mild curiosity.

_"Let's get started with today's episode of Pokequiz! Today's contestants are three elementary students from Lavender Town!"_

Lydia clicked the remote again, uninterested in the cheesy gameshow that aired every Friday night.

_"Welcome to the Pokedude Show! We are going to cover status problems on this episode!"_

Annoyed, Lydia changed the channel yet again.

_"This is Moves for Living. Jigglypuff is here with us to demonstrate one of her favorite moves in battle."_

"Just turn it off, Lydia," her mother snapped over the droning reporters. "There's nothing good on TV anymore. Just useless Pokemon shows. I can't believe the media endorses those monsters!"

Lydia bit her lip slightly, turning off the television and chucking the remote onto a different couch. Although she agreed that the overwhelming amount of Pokemon themed channels was annoying, Lydia found her mother's aversion to Pokemon childish at best. Although, she supposed on second thought, her mother had a reason to hate the creatures.

When she was still young and fit, her mother had begun her journey as a Pokemon Trainer. It's what every little kid aspired to be. However, few ever really made a career of it, as it could be expensive if one was not overly skilled. Lydia's mother had been one of the few.

Most made the journey to a local Pokemon research lab to pick up their first Pokemon. The Professors were very kind about that, and often carried several Pokemon with them to give away to helpless young children who had wandered into the tall grass without one.

However, Lydia's mother had gotten her first Pokemon as a birthday present. It was a Rhyhorn, which her parents had found out at the Safari Zone. Although it was on a fairly low level, Lydia's mother worked tirelessly to train the Rhyhorn. They formed a close bond, and Lydia's mother found she could easily beat most of the kids her age. Once it reached level 10, she decided to challenge the city's gym leader. That's when it all unfolded.

During the battle, one of the opposing Pokemon used Confuse Ray. Rhyhorn, unable to fully control its motions, turned on Lydia's mother. It tackled her, forever paralyzing her from the waist down. Terrified and in tremendous pain, she took out her anger on the Pokemon. As she was rushed to the nearest hospital, Lydia's mother took Rhyhorn's pokeball and threw it at one of the young gym apprentices, screaming about what a terrible monster it was.

Ever since that moment, she'd developed a deep hatred for the creatures. All the bonds and memories she had shared with Rhyhorn were forgotten, covered up by the pain of his unknowing betrayal. She had not seen her Rhyhorn since, and Lydia sadly realized that her mother probably liked it better that way.

Lydia tucked her head into her arms, trying to brainstorm more ideas for her report.

The tiny creature was restless. How long had she been here? An hour? A day? A year? It was easy to lose track of time in the overwhelming darkness. She didn't mind it too much, and there was almost something cozy about it. But it had been a bit longer than she'd have liked.

"You must be Professor Carbon! I apologize that this took so long!" A familiar voice soothed the creatures uneasiness. She had no idea what he was saying, but she didn't care too much for human affairs. "I couldn't get an inter-regional cruiser leaving in time. But, here she is. Just bred her at the daycare center, if you'll believe that."

"Ah, thank you. I believe I have your Vileplume right here." The creature stirred slightly. She'd never heard that voice before.

"Are you sure you can take good care of her?"

"Positive! I know Pokemon forwards in backwards!" The strange man had an annoying laugh. "But this one is going to be a prize for one of my students. You know, a little something to reward those who put in the extra effort."

Suddenly, the creature felt her environment lurch forward in motion. "Good, good. Thank you again, Professor. I'm sure this Vileplume will be a great addition to my daughter's grass team."

The creature pawed at the sides of her container. She could here the footsteps of the familiar man, and they were getting softer. Was he leaving her?

She let out a pitiful squeak that would never escape the walls of her enclosure.


	2. Chapter 2

Lydia stumbled into class, panting heavily. Her math teacher had refused to let class out until everyone had turned in their assignments. And, of course, being the class full of slackers that it was, that meant staying well into the passing period.

Quickly finding her seat in the back of the room, Lydia fumbled in her backpack for her report. Pokemon Lore was the last class of the day, and she was ready to go home.

"Alright, class, find your seats!" Professor Carbon, Lydia's least favorite teacher, stood beside his desk. "Now, could you please pass your type advantage papers forward..." He reached out his hand, and everyone pulled out a stack of papers. Lydia sighed. It hadn't been her best work, and she didn't need to give Professor Carbon another reason to dislike her.

Well, Professor Carbon didn't really _dislike_ Lydia. It was just that she wasn't his favorite student. And, as Lydia was always the teacher's pet, this didn't go over well with her.

"Now, I'm assuming that you are all aspiring Trainers, yes?" He set the reports down gently on his desk and scanned the room. Most kids nodded their heads eagerly, but Lydia just sat there with her head in her hands. Professor Carbon gave her a questioning look, but she merely shrugged.

He reached down into his desk draw and removed a small red orb from it.

"In this Pokeball, I have a special surprise. It's a creature that you won't find around here. Not in Viridian City. Not, in fact, in all of Kanto." announced Professor Carbon.

A few members of the class were on the edges of their seat, and even Lydia perked up a bit. She knew very little about Pokemon, let alone the more exotic, inter-regional ones.

"Shinx!" A hushed silence fell as Professor Carbon patted the Pokeball. "And I am offering this gem as a prize to the student who earns the highest grade on their final project." He smiled subtly at one of the boys in the front row. Zachary. He was a prodigy Trainer, already boasting three gym badges.

Now nearly all class members were perched on the edges of their chairs. The adorable electric-type Pokemon was sure to be a great addition to any team.

"So, what's the final project?" one of the students burst out, sparking a large flurry of excitement. A Sinnoh Pokemon? Is it really a Shinx? Lydia bit her lip. The Shinx was already out of the question for her. Her mother would have a Miltank if she brought a Pokemon home.

"Calm down, class!" Professor Carbon clapped his hands and put the Pokeball back into his desk. "The project will have two parts. This first part is a report on why Pokemon are important to our world today."

Lydia perked up in spite of a general groan from her classmates. True, her previous report had been a bit of a disaster, but she was confident in her writing abilities.

"The second part of the project shall be a Pokemon battle. Bring in level ten pokemon, and we will have a tournament."

Lydia froze.

"Each part of the project will be worth 100 points. This will count as a third of your grade in the class, so make sure to prepare. Your grade for the tournament will be based purely on participation and synergy with your Pokemon. However, the higher you rank, the better your chances as winning the Shinx. Is everything clear?"

Lydia twitched.

An entire third of her grade? Hinged on a Pokemon battle? But... She was... Her grade! This stupid class was going to ruin her straight A record!

Her hand shot into the air.

"Lydia?"

"Professor, sir, what if we don't own a Pokemon?" Most of the class gave her a funny look.

"Well, Lydia..." Professor Carbon folded his arms. "You'd better go get one before the end of the term, if you want to pass this class."


	3. Chapter 3

It was a dull and overcast as Lydia climbed the steps to her front door. She sighed, reaching out for the doorknob. One third of her grade... Surely her mother would be reasonable?

The door swung open, letting a gust of wind into the house. "Hey, Mom?" Lydia slammed the door behind her and tossed her backpack onto a nearby chair.

"Hi, Lydia! How was school today?" There was the familiar squeak of her mother's wheelchair across the floor. Lydia sighed. It was a painful reminder that her mother would not take her next question lightly.

"So, we have a final in Pokemon Lore coming up, right? And it's worth a third of our overall grade, okay?" Lydia began nervously twirling a strand of her hair. "But, um... The final project is a Pokemon battle, so... I... um... I need a Pokemon..."

Her mother squeaked into the room.

"Mom?"

Lydia's mother sighed heavily, the wrinkles in her forehead clearly defined. "Sweetie, you know how I feel about those monsters." She gestured at herself, sitting pathetically in an old wheelchair. "No daughter of mine is going to own one of them."

The answer had been expected, but it made Lydia frown all the same. "It's just for a month or so, that's it. I'll release it when the project is over. You know, the one that's worth one third of my grade."

"Why can't you just ask your teacher if you can borrow a Pokemon for the battle? Or be excused from it altogether?"

Lydia glanced at her feet. She knew some people just weren't Pokemon people, but her mother was a bit unreasonable about the whole thing.

"Mom, he'll probably say no. He doesn't get how anyone wouldn't have a Pokemon." Lydia blinked. "And it's a third of my grade," she added quickly.

"Lydia, I'm not getting you a Pokemon for this silly class. I don't want you to go through what I have." Lydia's mother put on one of those sympathetic grown-up faces, trying to convince Lydia that she really cared about her, and that it was all for her own good. Lydia wasn't buying it.

"Mom, that was one bad experience. I'm sure not all Pokemon are rotten. And I only need it for the next couple weeks. Then I'll release it!" Lydia promised, and added, for good measure, "One third of my grade."

"Lydia, the answer is no." Lydia's mother gave her a stern look. "Go ask your teacher. If he refuses, I'll complain to administration. Just make sure you can keep the Pokemon at school, of course... And I want you to always be supervised when using it. They're not as cute and cuddly as everyone seems to think they are..."

"Mom, what if he says no?" Lydia crossed her arms. "It's a-"

"Third of your grade!" Her mother finished with a small smile. "I get it, Lydia. But your safety is more important to me than your grades," she continued, leaning back in her wheelchair. "And he won't say no."

~~~~

"No."

Lydia blinked, shaking her head slightly.

"What do you mean, no?"

"Lydia..." Professor Carbon sat behind his desk peering over his tiny reading glasses at his computer. Lydia had stayed after class to discuss borrowing a Pokemon.

"Lydia, it's not my job to hand out free Pokemon. I'm not going to go catch a level 5 Pokemon for you. Part of the project is to teach you how to go and raise your own Pokemon."

Lydia began to twirl her hair, a slight panic rising in her chest. "But, Professor, you don't understand... My mother won't let me own a Pokemon! She had an accident with one when she was younger and it kinda scarred her for life... Oh, please, Professor! It's a third of my grade and I've never failed a class before!"

"If you do well on the paper you could still manage a D."

Lydia felt like storming out of the room and finding a corner to cry in. Professor Carbon didn't understand. "Please Professor... You can't give me a bad grade because I'm unable to participate in something!"

Professor Carbon took his eyes away from his computer for a moment. "Lydia, I said no."


End file.
